Seed-separator.



C. D. PANTAZE.

SEED SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2, 1912.

1,1 18,221 Patented Nov. 24, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

j/vi imeooeo G. D. PANTAZE.

SEED SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2, 1912.

1,118,221, PatentedNomZ, 1914.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2.

if a

6.2 Fania/2 C. D. PANTAZE.

SEED SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2, 1912.

.Pate nted Nov. 24, 1914.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

G. D. PANTAZE.

SEED SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2, 1912. I 1,1 18,221. Patented Nov. 24, 1914.

I panying drawings,

bananas n.- ran rezn, or s nmnenaia, ALABAMA.

snnnsnran'a'ron specification of Letters Patent.

Patented lea-24, 191a.

Application area m 2, 1912. min in. 707,2 1

2 To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1,. CHARLES D. Fan'razn,citizen of the United States, residing at Birmingham, in the county ofJeiferson and State of Alabama, new and useful Improvements in,Seed-Separators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to seed separators,

and has for its object the provisign of a simple and efiicient apparatusespecially adapted for separating trash and immature cotton seeds fromthe fully developed seeds so that the planter may be supplied with seedsof proper .quality for planting.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction,arrangement, and operation which will be hereinafter first fullydescribed and then more particularly pointed out in the claim followingthe description.

The invention is illustrated in the accomin which Figure 1 is a verticallongitudinal section of a seed separator embodying'my improvements; Fig.2 is an end elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a vertical longltudinalsection showing a modification; Fig. i is a detail longitudinal sectionshowing a further modification; Fig. 5 is a similar view showing a.still .further 'modification; Fig.

6 IS a detail plan view of a portion of the screen; Fig. 7 is a detailsection of a portion of the screen; Fig. 8 is a detail transversesection taken on the'line 88 of Fig. 3; Fig. 9 is a detail View of themechanism for vibrating the discharge chute.

In carrying out my invention, I employ a supporting frame sireddimensions and is constructed of standards or posts and longitudinal andtransverse beams and sills connecting the same,

as twill bereadily understood. At the top Fig. 2,

of theframe and at one end thereof I secure a; hopper 2 having its frontside 3 hinged to the" front transverse wall 4 of a trough formed in thelower end of the hopper, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. Within the saidtrough is disposed a worm or spiral conveyer 5 which is so constructed,as shown in that it will feed toward the opposite ends of the troughfrom the center of the same, a plurality of discharge openings 6 beingprovided in the bottom of the trough, as shown and as will be readilyunderstood.

Brackets 7 of any convenient formation are have invented certain.

1 which may be of any de-.

secured to the end of the main frame 1, and in the sa d brackets isjournaled a crank shaft 8 which is connected by a link 9 with.

the hinged front wall 3 of the hopper, so that, as the said shaft isrotated, the wall of the hopper will be vibrated and consequently theseed within the hopper will be agitated so that they will be'causedtoflow positively to the conveyer 5 and will be prevented from choking inthe hopper.

Suspended within the frame, so that its upper end is .directly beneaththe discharge opening 6, is an inclined screen 10 towhich is secured apan or trough 11 by bolts 12, so that the said pan or trough, which isarranged below the screen, Will be caused to move with the screen and befixed in its position relative to the same. A bracket or block 13 issecured to the front upper ends of the screen 10 andthepan or trough 11,and this block or bracket is connected by a link 14 with the crank shaft8 so that the desired vibratory movement will be imparted to the screen.The screen is suspended at its upper end by chains or other flexibleconnections 15 and at its lower end by a spring or frame. The springwill provide a yieldable support for the screen so that the vibrationsimparted to the screen by the crank shaft will be amplified andtheagitation of the seeds resulting from the vibration of the screenwill be increased and the desired separation rapidly attained. A spring18 is also arranged between the panor trough 11 and the main supportingframeso as to further amplify the vibrations.

The screen consists of the usual frame or supporting rim, indicated at19, and metallic plates 20 which are constructed with transverse slotsor perforations 21 of any desired form and preferably in the form ofoblong slots having semi-circular endst Two of these plates areemployed, arranged in superposed relation and adapted to be shiftedrelatively to each other so that the free openings or passages throughthe'plates may be varied as may be necessary to prop- I the screen erlytreat the seed passing through the machine. The openings in the upperplate are preferably formed by stamping out a por-' tion thereof andstriking up the edges of the openings, thereby formed so that ridges 22will be provided upon the upper surface of to aid in the deflection andagitation of the seed and other-m terial passing over the screen.

By referring to Fig. 1, it will be noted that the lower rear ends of thescreen frame and of the trough or pan 11 are open so that the materialwhich reaches said ends may pass over the same, and to the lower end ofthe screen, I secure a second screen 23 which may be of the sameconstruction and is secured to the upper screen by a hinge 24 so that itmay have a slight vibratory movement relativeto the upper screen. Theforward end of this second screen 23 is supported by a chain or'otherflexible connection 25 Which nay be extended to any convenient point ofthe main frame and is equipped with a screw or bolt 26 extending throughthat portion of the frame to which it is attached and adjustable bymeans of a wing nut 27 so that the screen may begiven any desiredinclination. The rear end of the pan 11 is spaced forwardly from theupper end of the second screen 23 so that the seeds and other materialdeposited on the trough or pan will be discharged therefrom onto thesecond screen, as will be readily understood. The plates 20 in the upperscreen should be so adjusted that all the seeds will pass therethrough Vand only the leaves, sticks, and other trash will be separatedtherefrom, the trash passing out over the rear end of the screen, Whilethe seeds drop onto the pan 11 and are discharged from the same onto thescreen 23. The perforated plates of the screen 23 should be so adjustedas to permit the immature and undeveloped seeds to drop through thesame, while the larger seeds will pass over the forward end of thescreen and be deposited upon a third screen 28.

Theconveyer belt 29 is supportedupon suitable rollers 30 below thescreen 23, and the refuse and immature seeds dropping onto the said beltwill be carried by the same to the rear end of the machine and theredischarged. This belt may be driven from a crank shaft 31 which in turnis connected by a belt and pulleys with the main driving shaft equippedwith a hand nlley 33 whereby motion may be imparted to said shaft fromany convenient engine 01* prime. motor. 4 The crank shaft 31 is alsoconnected by a link 34 with a bracket cr block 35 secured to the frontend of the screen 28 a'nd the collecting trough Will he vibratedto-agitate the materlal deposited thereon and cause the same connection37, as shown.

pan or trough 36 disposedj'ifielow the same, so that the said screen'and' to pass to the rear open ends of the screen and trough, as will bereadily understood. The trough or pan 36 is attached at its upper end tothe screen 28 and is supported at its lower end by a chain or otherflexible The screen 28 is supported by a chain 38 adjustably attached toany convenient part of th main supporting frame, and springs 39 and 40are also attached to the said screen and the main frame so as to amplifythe vibrations imparted thereto, as will be readily understood, thespring 4:0 being connected with the main frame through a turn-buckle 41so that the tension of the spring may be regulated as may be desired;Arranged adjacent the lower rear end of the screen 28 is a transversechute 42 adapted to receive the seeds discharged from the said screenand conduct the same to the side of the machine Where they will becaught in a suitable receptacle. Just above the said chute 42 is a fanor blower 43 having its casing provided with a discharge opening oroutlet 44 directed toward the chute so that the blast from the fan willplay through the seeds dropping into the chute and blow from the sameany dust or other light foreign matter which may hare adhered totheseed. The screen 23 will be so adjusted as to permit the small andWorthless seed to drop onto the conveyer 29, While the good seed will becarried over the end of the said screen and discharged onto the screen28. Thesaid screen 28 will he so adjusted that the first quality seedwill be caused to travel over the screen and be discharged into thechute 42, while the poorer or second quality seed will drop onto thetrough or pan 36 and be discharged from the lower rear end of the same.

Disposed transversely in the screens 23 and 28 and adjacent the upperends therecf are combs .45 consisting of a bar 4-6 and pins or teeth 47depending therefrom, the said combs serving to retard the flow of theseeds so that they will pass over the screens in well defined separatedstreams and consequently cannot crowd over the openings in the screensin such a volume as to choke the openings and prevent the proper gradingand separation of the seeds. To further insure this preliminaryseparating of the seeds, division strips 48 are disposed longitudinallyupon the screens so as to prevent the seeds flowing laterally over thesurface of the screen and consequently cause them to pass positively tothe openings in the screens.

will be readily seen that my improved machine will clean'and separatethe seeds into grades very rapidly and effectually, inasmuch as all theWorking parts are given a vibratory motion, and, as the several screensare flexibly supported, this vibratory motion will he very free and evenso that the seeds screeningsurfacesand consequently be veryquicklydivjided into classes. Choking of the seeds at any point cannotoccur, inasmuchas the hopper is also subjected to a vibrator'yor shakingaction and a positive feeding conveyer is provided in the bottom of thehopper to force the seeds to the discharge openings therein. Thedischarge chute 22'is flexibly suspended in the main frame and isvibrated through a pitman 49 pivoted to the upper end of the chute andattached to'a crank 50 on the end of the blower shaft. v a

In Fig. 3, "I have shown the hopper, '51, as arranged at the center ofthe main frame instead of at one end thereof and provided with a falsebottom 52 which is hingedat one end,-as indicated at 53, and supportedat "its opposite end by a link 5d connected With a crank shaft 55. Asthe crank shaft is rotated, the false bottom, of course, will bevibrated or shaken so that the seed upon the said false bottom will bepositively fed to the conveyer 56 corresponding to the conveyer 5 in thearrangement previously described. In this modified machine, the seedpasses from the hopper onto a short screen 57 which serves to separatethe trash and leaves from the seed so that the said trash will bedischarged over th'elo'wer end of the screen, while the seed will passonto a pan or trough 58 and be discharged by the same onto a secondscreen 59,. The

screen 57 with the pan or trough 58 secured thereto is supported withinthe main frame by springs 60 and the upper end of the said screen andtrough are connected by a link .61 with a crank shaft 62 so thatthe-screen may be vibrated, as will be readily understood. Flexiblysupported within the main frame, below the said screen 57 and trough 58,1s the second screen 59 having attached thereto the pan or trough 63,and to the lower end of the said pan or trough 63 is secured thedischarge chute 64 which leads transversely to the side of the machineto deposit the fi st quality seed in a suitable'receptacle. The seedwhich passes over the perforated plates of the screen 59 will bedischarged onto a third screen 65 arranged below the same and supportedin the main frameby springs and flexible connections in the same manneras the otherjscreens are supported. The screen 59 in this form of theinvention has the lower end of its frame hates-short of the'lh'zver p atransverse bar 66 so that 'ng over the said screen w ll not, tofiow bend the end of themachine it J bar-onto lowermost or trough 6 carried by65. The pan screen 65 termiend of the said ecreen and will receive thedirt and worth- 1 less seed passing through the said screen. i

ed by said cross The second quality seed ow the dust and other'foreignparticles' ad- 2'0 hering to the seed will be blown therefrom,

In .Fig. 4, I have illustrated a further modification in which isemployed a'hopper '70 which is rigidlysuppo'rted and containsanendlessconveyer or feeding belt 71 pass- 75 mg over driving andsupporting rollers 72 and equipped with .projections'or slats 73 whichtake into the seed and feed the same over the bottom of the hopper tothe conveyer 74 correspondin in all respects to the '80 spiral conveyers5 an 56. A screen 75 is arranged to receive the seed and other materialfed from the'hopperby the said conveyer 74, and this screen issupported-and operates in the same manner as the screens shown in theother previously described forms of the invention. In the reviouslydescribed arrangements, the d scharging chute is located at 'the end ofthe screen but it may be located at any .other point, and in'Fig. 5, Ihave shown a discharge chute 7 6. disposed atan intermediate point ofthe pan 77 to which it is secured, the said panin the illustration beingthat attached to the top screen. With the chute arranged at thisintermediate point, it is intended to have the perforated plates 78 ofthe screen so constructed and arranged that the openings below the chutewill be appreciably larger than those arranged above or in advance ofthe chute so that the upper portion of the screen will permit only theworthless seed to pass through, while'the lower portion thereof willpermit all the larger seed to pass and will eliminate therefrom all theleaves and other large trash.

The transverse dischar e chutes will preferably deposit the seeds in areceptacle disposed at the side of the machine but they may dischargeinto a longitudinal chute carried by the screens, and in Fig. 8, I haveto deliver into a'longitudinal chute at the side of the screen below it.

In all the various forms of my invention,

several parts of the apparatus are simple neem connected at one end tothe 1ast-mentioned end of the first-mentioned screen, flexible meanssuspending the other end of the lastxnentioned screen, and means forimparting reoiprooetory movement to the firstmentioned screen.

In testimony whereof 1 aflix Iny signetnre in presence of two WitnessesrCHARLES D. PANKAZE.

Witnesses Wrnms N. BURT? N. J. FELTon.

